hopqueen's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.9
- Helpful Votes:804
- Reviews Submitted:68
- First Review:May 10, 2018
- Most Recent Review:January 30, 2025
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Could you survive a deadly game where your opponent knew your secrets?
Overall rating
5
/
5
93 of 119 found this review helpful
Mad Head Never Lets Us Down!
PostedMarch 5, 2020
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This game is like being in a psychological thriller. It's clever, and you never know what's coming next. Mad Head games never disappoint, and this one didn't either. I really love the excellent graphics, exciting storyline, and creative HOPs.
There are also lots of collectibles: a morphing object AND an eye in each scene, plus another morphing object in each HOP. They have indicators to let you know if there's a collectible in the scene/HOP and whether you've found it or not, which I very much appreciate.
The voice actors are great as well. In a lot of games lately, the actors have been pretty poor, sometimes awkwardly so, but these are really good. I appreciate that they bothered to hire talent who really gave their all.
The environments are vivid and enjoyable, loaded with little details that absorb you. This is the kind of art I truly enjoy.
This is one of those games I look forward to getting back to every time I have a free moment. Awesome job, Mad Head!
There are also lots of collectibles: a morphing object AND an eye in each scene, plus another morphing object in each HOP. They have indicators to let you know if there's a collectible in the scene/HOP and whether you've found it or not, which I very much appreciate.
The voice actors are great as well. In a lot of games lately, the actors have been pretty poor, sometimes awkwardly so, but these are really good. I appreciate that they bothered to hire talent who really gave their all.
The environments are vivid and enjoyable, loaded with little details that absorb you. This is the kind of art I truly enjoy.
This is one of those games I look forward to getting back to every time I have a free moment. Awesome job, Mad Head!
I recommend this game!
Can you stop a mad mayor and his destructive robots?
Overall rating
3
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Fun But Glitchy And Sometimes Annoying
PostedJanuary 18, 2020
hopqueen
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I would have given this game two stars if I didn't think it was still entertaining despite all the issues.
I liked this game a lot at first, but then I ran into glitches that actually disrupted gameplay, and it left me quite annoyed. I solved a puzzle, but the game had a glitch that wouldn't mark it as solved, so I had to skip. There was something where I had to use an item in a totally different area than where it was needed because the developers made a mistake about where to click. At one point, there was an issue with the map. There were a number of other things too. It was as if this game wasn't tested at all before publishing it.
Some of the voice acting was pretty bad. I don't typically pick on that, but this was REALLY bad for one character in particular. It was as if the voice talent had no idea what was going on and had never done a recording in her life. Other characters weren't so great either, but that one really bothered me.
After the bonus game is over, there's a secret room, but guess what? It's not really a secret room. It just gives you access to all the puzzles and HOPs you've already played, which is what all other HOP games have as a regular feature, nothing special. So that was a big letdown.
The morphing objects were teeny tiny and could be challenging, so that was great. Plus there were random collectibles that didn't follow any kind of pattern. That's not my favorite thing, but that's just my own taste. Still great that they were in there.
The atmosphere was nice, very dystopian and dark.
All in all, I'd say just try a different Mystery Trackers game. The others are better and were actually tested.
I liked this game a lot at first, but then I ran into glitches that actually disrupted gameplay, and it left me quite annoyed. I solved a puzzle, but the game had a glitch that wouldn't mark it as solved, so I had to skip. There was something where I had to use an item in a totally different area than where it was needed because the developers made a mistake about where to click. At one point, there was an issue with the map. There were a number of other things too. It was as if this game wasn't tested at all before publishing it.
Some of the voice acting was pretty bad. I don't typically pick on that, but this was REALLY bad for one character in particular. It was as if the voice talent had no idea what was going on and had never done a recording in her life. Other characters weren't so great either, but that one really bothered me.
After the bonus game is over, there's a secret room, but guess what? It's not really a secret room. It just gives you access to all the puzzles and HOPs you've already played, which is what all other HOP games have as a regular feature, nothing special. So that was a big letdown.
The morphing objects were teeny tiny and could be challenging, so that was great. Plus there were random collectibles that didn't follow any kind of pattern. That's not my favorite thing, but that's just my own taste. Still great that they were in there.
The atmosphere was nice, very dystopian and dark.
All in all, I'd say just try a different Mystery Trackers game. The others are better and were actually tested.
I don't recommend this game.
Can you save the city from nature’s destructive forces in time?
Overall rating
5
/
5
37 of 46 found this review helpful
Finally a Different Kind of Game For HOP Lovers!
PostedDecember 21, 2019
hopqueen
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I LOVE 100% hidden object games, and they're pretty hard to find. This game mixes a beautifully detailed fantasy world with loads of hidden objects, and I absolutely love it! Many games that are under the HOP section of this site have occasional HOPs and still get away with being called a HOP game when they're actually very puzzle-heavy. So this is very refreshing for someone like me.
The fantasy world is medieval, and the bursts of color mostly come from the evil plants you're trying to get rid of. It's a very different concept—evil flowers that grow taller than buildings, and the flowers at the top of the stems are like dragon heads. The game doesn't take itself too seriously with this idea of evil flowers, which makes it all the more fun.
There are collectible owls, and while I would have preferred if there were multiple collectibles, the owls look different every time, and they're in both HOP scenes and regular scenes. They're not always easy. Some are full owls, some are just owl eyes—you really have to look.
I love the incorporation of puzzles in HOP scenes, which is something that has become more and more common in these games, and I'm glad to see so much of it in this one.
When you do something like use a coin to unscrew something or use a pitchfork to move hay, the movement is very fluid and nicely done, and the depth of the objects is maintained. That isn't the most important thing for me in a game, but it's a wonderful detail that I really appreciate. There is clearly a lot of detail work that went into this game.
The story is fun, not intense or deep, which is fine with me.
All in all, I really love this game, and if you're a hidden object lover, you will too!
The fantasy world is medieval, and the bursts of color mostly come from the evil plants you're trying to get rid of. It's a very different concept—evil flowers that grow taller than buildings, and the flowers at the top of the stems are like dragon heads. The game doesn't take itself too seriously with this idea of evil flowers, which makes it all the more fun.
There are collectible owls, and while I would have preferred if there were multiple collectibles, the owls look different every time, and they're in both HOP scenes and regular scenes. They're not always easy. Some are full owls, some are just owl eyes—you really have to look.
I love the incorporation of puzzles in HOP scenes, which is something that has become more and more common in these games, and I'm glad to see so much of it in this one.
When you do something like use a coin to unscrew something or use a pitchfork to move hay, the movement is very fluid and nicely done, and the depth of the objects is maintained. That isn't the most important thing for me in a game, but it's a wonderful detail that I really appreciate. There is clearly a lot of detail work that went into this game.
The story is fun, not intense or deep, which is fine with me.
All in all, I really love this game, and if you're a hidden object lover, you will too!
I recommend this game!
Can you help the train’s passengers save their holidays in time?
Overall rating
3
/
5
4 of 7 found this review helpful
Surprisingly not as good as expected
PostedDecember 6, 2019
hopqueen
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
I've been looking forward to this game, but I have to say that if it wasn't a Christmas game, the star rating would be even lower. The ambiance and graphics are all that are saving this game.
I don't put a lot weight on storyline for most games, but this game it so lacking in plot that it really bothered me. That's pretty rare! I would have preferred if we were just taken on an adventure to hear three stories instead of having this whole farce about a brother being lured by a stranger onto a train because he's been naughty, and now he's been turned into a mouse (no explanation for this), and since we're not supposed to have followed him onto the train in the first place, now we also have to pay for our naughtiness in order to save our brother. It's a bit weird. They also seem to have plucked out Hansel & Gretel for characters for no real reason.
The graphics are very nice, good quality, and every scene is loaded up with Christmas, which is pretty much the only reason I'm playing this game.
The HOPs are short and easy, which is really not my thing. The more HOPs and the longer they are, the better for me.
In terms of collectibles, there are puzzle pieces to find in close-ups (about two per scene), 25 morphs (1 per scene) and 12 characters (random per scene).
I think if you're a beginner HOP player or if you like Christmas games solely for the visual ambiance, then this is for you. I don't recommend this game for anyone else.
I don't put a lot weight on storyline for most games, but this game it so lacking in plot that it really bothered me. That's pretty rare! I would have preferred if we were just taken on an adventure to hear three stories instead of having this whole farce about a brother being lured by a stranger onto a train because he's been naughty, and now he's been turned into a mouse (no explanation for this), and since we're not supposed to have followed him onto the train in the first place, now we also have to pay for our naughtiness in order to save our brother. It's a bit weird. They also seem to have plucked out Hansel & Gretel for characters for no real reason.
The graphics are very nice, good quality, and every scene is loaded up with Christmas, which is pretty much the only reason I'm playing this game.
The HOPs are short and easy, which is really not my thing. The more HOPs and the longer they are, the better for me.
In terms of collectibles, there are puzzle pieces to find in close-ups (about two per scene), 25 morphs (1 per scene) and 12 characters (random per scene).
I think if you're a beginner HOP player or if you like Christmas games solely for the visual ambiance, then this is for you. I don't recommend this game for anyone else.
I don't recommend this game.
Help the Romans and the Britons defeat the Filth in this exciting strategy adventure!
Overall rating
5
/
5
One of My Favorite Time Management Games!
PostedDecember 5, 2019
hopqueen
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I only have two favorite time management games—this one and Royal Life: Hard to be Queen. The rest I don't care for, so these two are standouts.
Roman Adventure does a great job getting you into the world and gameplay with clear instructions while in the game—no time wasted reading loads of boring instructions between levels. If you want to leave reminders on, then Captain Flavius will pop up here and there to remind you that you have to build a stonecutter if you're going to have a granite mine, for example. You can turn that off if it annoys you.
There are a lot of levels with different seasons, terrains, and more and more buildings to create as the game goes on. I never found it overwhelming. In fact, I looked forward to seeing what buildings I could build and upgrade next as I honed my strategy.
You can play on relaxed mode with no timer or in a couple of other modes that have timers. There are also caches to find, which are secret little stashes of goodies. They're not obvious, and you need to run your mouse around the scene to find them all. Some are pretty tricky! They're optional—you can win the level without finding any of them, if you want.
The music is very nice, and I always kept it on and got it stuck in my head a few times. I wished I could download a couple of songs!
I didn't find any flaws in gameplay and so much enjoyed this game that I looked for the next one in the series, but it isn't available for Mac, only PC! That's utterly disappointing, so if you're going to buy it, if you have a PC, you can move on to the others in the series. If you have a Mac, this is all you can buy.
Roman Adventure does a great job getting you into the world and gameplay with clear instructions while in the game—no time wasted reading loads of boring instructions between levels. If you want to leave reminders on, then Captain Flavius will pop up here and there to remind you that you have to build a stonecutter if you're going to have a granite mine, for example. You can turn that off if it annoys you.
There are a lot of levels with different seasons, terrains, and more and more buildings to create as the game goes on. I never found it overwhelming. In fact, I looked forward to seeing what buildings I could build and upgrade next as I honed my strategy.
You can play on relaxed mode with no timer or in a couple of other modes that have timers. There are also caches to find, which are secret little stashes of goodies. They're not obvious, and you need to run your mouse around the scene to find them all. Some are pretty tricky! They're optional—you can win the level without finding any of them, if you want.
The music is very nice, and I always kept it on and got it stuck in my head a few times. I wished I could download a couple of songs!
I didn't find any flaws in gameplay and so much enjoyed this game that I looked for the next one in the series, but it isn't available for Mac, only PC! That's utterly disappointing, so if you're going to buy it, if you have a PC, you can move on to the others in the series. If you have a Mac, this is all you can buy.
I recommend this game!
A visit to Manchester Asylum takes a dangerous turn into madness!
Overall rating
5
/
5
18 of 25 found this review helpful
EXCELLENT GAME!
PostedDecember 1, 2019
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This is such a fun and creative game with an outstanding storyline and great visuals!
I love MCF, and this game is no exception. It's super creative, with unusual HOPs, some of which take place over several stages. There are a ton of locations, and they're all unique and well thought out. The storyline is very enjoyable.
In terms of collectibles, there is a crab and a morph in every scene. Most of the time they're relatively easy to find, but a couple of them were tough.
All in all this is a particularly good game in the series, and I highly recommend it!
I love MCF, and this game is no exception. It's super creative, with unusual HOPs, some of which take place over several stages. There are a ton of locations, and they're all unique and well thought out. The storyline is very enjoyable.
In terms of collectibles, there is a crab and a morph in every scene. Most of the time they're relatively easy to find, but a couple of them were tough.
All in all this is a particularly good game in the series, and I highly recommend it!
I recommend this game!
Can you help people escape their magical prisons in time?
Overall rating
4
/
5
12 of 18 found this review helpful
Fun Game with Lots of Collectibles
PostedJune 20, 2019
hopqueen
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This is an entertaining game with an interesting plot. It follows the same basic idea as many games—a woman's daughter is sick and she'll do anything to cure her, but something has gone terribly wrong. I have no problem with these kinds of repeated plots, and I like that this incorporates fairy tales and fictional stories since the mother is a novelist. I have to say I LOVE that they have a character who represents YouTubers. That was very modern and fun. The voice talents' accents are pretty good, a nice change from all the badly faked accents that are usually in games!
Since this is an Unseen Fears game, we have the magical tattoo that helps us see unseen areas in a scene and discover secrets. I find that fun as well.
Nice landscapes, decent graphics. Nothing mind blowing, but very enjoyable.
The puzzles are pretty easy and there are lots of HOPs and mini HOPs, which is satisfying for a HOP game. It's not overwhelmed by puzzles, and I like that a lot.
There are many collectibles, including morphing objects and somewhat random fairy tale-type objects (butterfly and other similar shapes in purple and green) in full scenes, as well as dragonflies in close-up scenes. There is a pullout menu on the left side that tells you how many morphing objects and other objects are left to find in the scene.
Overall this is a fun game!
Since this is an Unseen Fears game, we have the magical tattoo that helps us see unseen areas in a scene and discover secrets. I find that fun as well.
Nice landscapes, decent graphics. Nothing mind blowing, but very enjoyable.
The puzzles are pretty easy and there are lots of HOPs and mini HOPs, which is satisfying for a HOP game. It's not overwhelmed by puzzles, and I like that a lot.
There are many collectibles, including morphing objects and somewhat random fairy tale-type objects (butterfly and other similar shapes in purple and green) in full scenes, as well as dragonflies in close-up scenes. There is a pullout menu on the left side that tells you how many morphing objects and other objects are left to find in the scene.
Overall this is a fun game!
I recommend this game!
Can you uncover the paranormal activity haunting the mall?
Overall rating
5
/
5
5 of 7 found this review helpful
Enjoyable HOPs, New Setting
PostedApril 29, 2019
hopqueen
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I always like games that have a bit of a different setting. This one takes place in a mall where mannequins are coming to life. Their movements are jerky and sudden, so if that creeps you out, then this will be somewhat of a horror game for you!
I think this new Rick Rogers detective/security guard is going to be the start of a new series—his name was mentioned quite a lot in narration. Hopefully there will be lots of these, based on a hint I saw in the game!
For collectibles, there are statuettes, morphing objects, and eyes in regular scenes (not in HOPs), and they're pretty challenging. I love challenging collectibles, so this is perfect for me.
There's A LOT to do and a lot to find, which I love, and you don't stay in areas too long. The HOPs are fun and original (e.g. multiple security screens in one HOP), and the puzzles are good—not too hard, not too easy.
The only complaint I have is that the dialogue is really far out there and the excuses for it are nonexistent. But that doesn't bother me since dialogue isn't the point of the game.
I recommend this game and hope to see more of these!
I think this new Rick Rogers detective/security guard is going to be the start of a new series—his name was mentioned quite a lot in narration. Hopefully there will be lots of these, based on a hint I saw in the game!
For collectibles, there are statuettes, morphing objects, and eyes in regular scenes (not in HOPs), and they're pretty challenging. I love challenging collectibles, so this is perfect for me.
There's A LOT to do and a lot to find, which I love, and you don't stay in areas too long. The HOPs are fun and original (e.g. multiple security screens in one HOP), and the puzzles are good—not too hard, not too easy.
The only complaint I have is that the dialogue is really far out there and the excuses for it are nonexistent. But that doesn't bother me since dialogue isn't the point of the game.
I recommend this game and hope to see more of these!
I recommend this game!
Face the legacy of mythical sunken city of Ys!
Overall rating
2
/
5
7 of 16 found this review helpful
Old and Outdated
PostedApril 1, 2019
hopqueen
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
1
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
This game was super disappointing. It's the second one recently to seem very old, as if it was about 10 years old. Games nowadays have MUCH better graphics, better faces, better mouth movements, better environments, more puzzles, more challenging puzzles, and very engaging Collector's Editions.
This one is the opposite.
The graphics are OLD, even the Strategy Guide has blurry images, and the characters are drawn in a very outdated way. The faces lack detail and aren't even well drawn. Games these days have characters with detail down to the lines on their faces. This has that mask-like, stock look of games of yore.
The characters' mouths move, but they have a really strange tongue thing going on. So instead of bothering to make the mouths form the words properly, they threw in some weird flicking tongue thing behind the teeth. Just plain odd.
The environment was not detailed, which again points to an old-style game.
The puzzles are barely puzzles. They're soooo easy (easier than Dominion Games "Easy" choice puzzles), and some don't even qualify as puzzles.
It takes far too long to get anywhere new in this game—a lot of going back and forth, back and forth...back and forth.
I'm not one to pan storyline, but this one was like they just couldn't be bothered.
This doesn't even qualify as a Collector's Edition to me. It has one collectible that is SUPER easy to find in each scene. That's it, nothing more.
The only thing that earned this game two stars is that the HOPs aren't bad. Nothing special, but certainly not bad. They're the best thing about this game, but again, pretty lacking, unimaginative, and old.
Overall, this game was dull. I was bored from the moment I started it, hoped it would surprise me, but got let down with every passing minute. I don't recommend it.
This one is the opposite.
The graphics are OLD, even the Strategy Guide has blurry images, and the characters are drawn in a very outdated way. The faces lack detail and aren't even well drawn. Games these days have characters with detail down to the lines on their faces. This has that mask-like, stock look of games of yore.
The characters' mouths move, but they have a really strange tongue thing going on. So instead of bothering to make the mouths form the words properly, they threw in some weird flicking tongue thing behind the teeth. Just plain odd.
The environment was not detailed, which again points to an old-style game.
The puzzles are barely puzzles. They're soooo easy (easier than Dominion Games "Easy" choice puzzles), and some don't even qualify as puzzles.
It takes far too long to get anywhere new in this game—a lot of going back and forth, back and forth...back and forth.
I'm not one to pan storyline, but this one was like they just couldn't be bothered.
This doesn't even qualify as a Collector's Edition to me. It has one collectible that is SUPER easy to find in each scene. That's it, nothing more.
The only thing that earned this game two stars is that the HOPs aren't bad. Nothing special, but certainly not bad. They're the best thing about this game, but again, pretty lacking, unimaginative, and old.
Overall, this game was dull. I was bored from the moment I started it, hoped it would surprise me, but got let down with every passing minute. I don't recommend it.
I don't recommend this game.
Can you save the city from the dangerous criminal Quasimodo?
Overall rating
5
/
5
2 of 4 found this review helpful
Very Enjoyable and Fun
PostedMarch 14, 2019
hopqueen
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Dark Romance is a great series, and I always look forward to new games from it. One of the features I like best is that the game has indicators that tell you when a collectible is available somewhere in the location. I HATE missing collectibles just because I sometimes forget about them while distracted by the story or ambiance, so this feature helps me keep on top of the collectibles.
Collectibles in this game include gold bracelets, tarot cards, and diary pages. With the gold bracelets, you can buy dresses and jewelry for your boudoir, which is a cute extra piece.
I really liked the storyline in this game! It was a clever twist on the classic Hunchback of Notre Dame, which is always something I appreciate. Storyline doesn't make or break a game for me, but I do notice whether it's good or bad. It was good!
The ambiance was very attractive, as with all Dark Romance games. Beautiful purples, lots of detail put into the rooms and closeup scenes. They always put a lot of thought into the feel of Dark Romance games.
You get to switch back and forth between characters, which is a newer feature (last couple of years) that I like.
One thing I didn't enjoy was at the end of the main game. It kept switching back and forth between the two characters so frequently, seemingly to draw out the game, and while I appreciate longer play time, they didn't cover up how they drew it out longer well. It was blatant. Not a dealbreaker obviously, just a detail I didn't love. A couple of the items you use to accomplish tasks were also...questionable.
There's a ferret in this game, but he's not a helper who sticks with you the whole time. He pops up here and there, but not much. Some people don't like this, but I don't mind at all. I think it's nice.
Overall I enjoyed the game and would recommend it!
Collectibles in this game include gold bracelets, tarot cards, and diary pages. With the gold bracelets, you can buy dresses and jewelry for your boudoir, which is a cute extra piece.
I really liked the storyline in this game! It was a clever twist on the classic Hunchback of Notre Dame, which is always something I appreciate. Storyline doesn't make or break a game for me, but I do notice whether it's good or bad. It was good!
The ambiance was very attractive, as with all Dark Romance games. Beautiful purples, lots of detail put into the rooms and closeup scenes. They always put a lot of thought into the feel of Dark Romance games.
You get to switch back and forth between characters, which is a newer feature (last couple of years) that I like.
One thing I didn't enjoy was at the end of the main game. It kept switching back and forth between the two characters so frequently, seemingly to draw out the game, and while I appreciate longer play time, they didn't cover up how they drew it out longer well. It was blatant. Not a dealbreaker obviously, just a detail I didn't love. A couple of the items you use to accomplish tasks were also...questionable.
There's a ferret in this game, but he's not a helper who sticks with you the whole time. He pops up here and there, but not much. Some people don't like this, but I don't mind at all. I think it's nice.
Overall I enjoyed the game and would recommend it!
I recommend this game!